1 week Ago By By Michele McDougall
Six new Brandon Police Service constables have been on the job for almost two weeks — they have been assigned to their platoons and are responding to 911 and regular service calls. Read this article for free: Already have an account? As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed. Now, more than ever, we need your support.
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Six new Brandon Police Service constables have been on the job for almost two weeks — they have been assigned to their platoons and are responding to 911 and regular service calls. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? Six new Brandon Police Service constables have been on the job for almost two weeks — they have been assigned to their platoons and are responding to 911 and regular service calls. Constables Paycen Warkentin and Stuart Nunn are two of the half-dozen new officers who received their badges during a graduation ceremony on March 31 the Brandon Armoury after a six-month training course.
Becoming a police officer is something that Warkentin said he’s always wanted to do. “Policing is more of a calling than a career, and I feel like everybody who wants to become a police officer is willing to help the community and hear what the community needs,” Warkentin said. In his first four days, he and a “veteran officer” conducted traffic stops, responded to a couple of domestic disputes and served various warrants.
“I loved it,” Warkentin said. “I had a blast being out in the police cruiser and just having interactions with people. I’m a pretty social person and I like to talk, so I can go up to people and try to figure out what they’re going through that day, and if there’s something that I can do to help them out.
” Originally from Gladstone and a graduate of Brandon University, Warkentin said he learned the importance of teamwork while earning his degree and playing volleyball with the Bobcats. “Policing is like a big team where you have to work together in order to protect the community. It takes more than just one person to make a difference — you need to have a whole team behind you pulling in the same direction,” he said.
Nunn had previous law enforcement experience in his hometown of Thompson, where he worked for the sheriff’s office. Before joining BPS, he was a corrections officer at Brandon Correctional Centre. “I’ve just had my first week and I’m already thinking, ‘This is amazing, I’m going to love this job.
’ Very fulfilling,” Nunn said. “I’m job shadowing with another officer and seeing how he approaches vehicles and talks with people in high-stress situations. So, I’m soaking it in because as we go along, we’ll be switching roles when I’m going to be more of the primary,” he said.
The four other recruits who graduated with Nunn and Warkentin are Tyler Kennedy, Allison Jordan, Nolan Melanson and Arun Bhatia. BPS embarked on a recruiting drive in the fall of 2024, looking to hire up to 20 new officers, and is still offering its own six-month training program that allows recruits to earn a wage while doing so. The next round of recruits will start their training May 5, followed by another session to be offered in the fall, said BPS Chief Tyler Bates.
The police service is in a constant state of recruiting because of vacancies. “We have six new graduates, which is great,” Bates said. “That probably reduces our vacancies to about 14 as opposed to the 20 we had.
“So, I suspect that in a year, we’ll be in a much better position than we are now, with our constant focus on recruiting. But we’re certainly not caught up yet.” It was a privilege presenting the badges to the six new constables at the end of March, said Bates, as they went from civilian life to the policing profession, a job that “comes with a lot of public trust and responsibility.
” “We certainly need people of character with compassion, empathy, patience and integrity in terms of how they operate in their day-to-day personal lives,” Bates said. “There are lots of ongoing situations that require de-escalation, so they need the ability to communicate, listen and be empathetic to people’s circumstances. “We are looking for people who have what is required in a very challenging, taxing profession.
And, you know, I am quite impressed with the calibre of the membership that is here in Brandon Police Service.” As Nunn looked back on his six months of training, he said the physical fitness component stands out. “This is the best shape I’ve been in in at least the last five years,” he said.
But he also praised the training overall. “The instructor did a very good job of simulating real-life, stressful situations, and they were definitely pushing to see how you react to it. And because of that, I think with each scenario, I was able to gain more confidence in myself, and I believe the whole class did as well,” said Nunn.
Warkentin said he enjoyed and excelled at driver training held at the Neepawa airport, where trainees took tight turns snaking through cones and pylons while up against the clock. “It was a perfect mix of everything — classroom time and then they would switch it up for hands-on training,” Warkentin said. “They also taught us a lot about compassion and that policing is not just putting you in handcuffs or being rough around the edges kind of thing.
“It’s more of forming public relations to try and help people more than trying to make things worse.” » [email protected] » enviromichele.
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